need some advice

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Thu May 03, 2007 2:50 pm

I have a 18 month old chow chow, since the recall of dog foods my wife has changed foods for my little girl. She was on nutro and I didnt want to change but the wife panicked and changed her food to science diet, well she has been on that a couple of weeks now and all of a sudden she is scratching like crazy. It has gotten to the point now that she actually scratched right down to the skin by her one eye. I have been putting bacetracin on it and been given her benadryl but the benadryl helps a little but I'm worried now that she scratched by the eye so bad how to stop her from doing that. I just went to the store and bought solid gold dog food since its mentioned so much on here but she wont eat it. So now I'm kinda to the point where I dont know what to do about this itching and scratching that she is doing and I'm afraid she is going to scratch her eye out. Any help would be real good right now and also how many benadryl's can I give her in a day they are 25mg each pill. thanks in advance.

p.s. as soon as I figure it out I'll post a picture of my little girl.

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Thu May 03, 2007 2:59 pm

here is a picture of when she was little as soon as I upload some newer pictures I'll post them.

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tekendall · Post by **tekendall** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:00 pm

I can't offer much advice in regards to the food. Im in the middle of switching foods as well (due to the recalls). There is alot of threds related to foods on here though.

My girl is about 38 lbs and sometimes get to scratching at her ears. My vet said I could give her 1.5 pills of Benedryl (25 mg) up to 3 times per day. I have never given her more than 1 pill in a day though.

LEO's mum · Post by **LEO's mum** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:19 pm

Where you giving her wet food by Nutro? The kibbles haven't been recalled. Read the back of Science Diet, if it has corn or wheat in it, you don't want to feed it to your dog. If she was doing fine on Nutro, and you suspect food as the reason for her itch, why don't you get her back to Nutro? After a few weeks if the itch stops, you'd know its the food. Can it be fleas or shedding, also? How heavy is she? If she is heavier than 40lbs, you can use what takendall mentioned as a guideline, but I am too scared to judge things w/o a quick call to the vet.

Lovely picture. What's her name? I have LEO(Leonora), baby pic as avator, who'll turn 18m/s on the 18th.

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:27 pm

I'm sorry I should have told everybody my little girls name it is Gabrielle but called Gabby for short. She weighs 60lbs, She was on the dry nutro but I mixed wet nutro with it. She is shedding but I believe that is just do to the weather change here in new jersey. I spoke with the vet and he said 2 25mg caps she can have but I'm not sure if he meant a day or 3 times a day so I am only giving her 1 aday to be safe. I think you are right and I should just go back to the nutro but I just need to convince the wife. Thanks.

LEO's mum · Post by **LEO's mum** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:35 pm

Why don't you go back to Nutro kibbles and use canned by some other quality brand? Leo is on SG kibbles, w/ canned added by SG, Welness or Newman's Own...However, it will be easier to keep it to one canned brand especially when you suspect food allergies. Or you can add a bit of boiled chicken, cottage cheese or egg, something you know Gabbie is not allergic to. Or go w/ tough love and just feed her kibbles, unlike cats, dogs will not starve themselves to death in front of a full bowl. I hope she feels better soon

Post by **Zhuyos mom** » Thu May 03, 2007 4:35 pm

Which Solid Gold dry did you purchase for Gabby? Try adding a bit of cheese on the kibble. Not alot, just enough to entice her.

Victory · Post by **Victory** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:33 pm

Which solid gold did you buy, some of them don't have a lot of smell, (because they don't have anything to make them smell) so they don't intice them. But the solid gold canned has a good smell for them, I take a large can of solid gold, mix about a third of it a day and put it over the kibble like a gravy, (that's for two dogs) you only need about a tablespoon's worth turned into gravy and it will make the kibble smell better to her and she'll eat it.

Chows shouldn't be fed corn and wheat, it often causes skin and fur problems. If she was okay on Nutro and you noticed the change with the food, then it's the food. And like Jeff said in another thread it doesn't take long for the skin problems to show up.

TJordan · Post by **TJordan** » Thu May 03, 2007 7:30 pm

Well, I don't know which brand to tell you to switch to but we also just switched. Actually had the opposite reaction. Butters has finally stopped itching and scratching and his allergies have all but disappeared. So the food can cause quite a mess. I don't know which ingredient was causing it but I am thankful it is gone now.

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:03 am

Am going through the itchin' and scratchin' thing here too.
If the one Benadryl isn't helping call the Vet and verify how many times a day to give it........they seem so miserable and you definitely don't want her to scratch her eye.......the benadryl does help but they have to get enough for it to do any good.
If you weren't having problems with her food, switch it back just check the recall info. The dry wasn't in the recall and she didn't have problems before the switch.
She is BEAUTIFUL!!!Hope she gets better soon

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Fri May 04, 2007 11:07 am

I just want to say thank you for all the help I'm taking Gabby to the vet today to be looked at ad I am probably going to go back to nutro since she liked it and it caused no problems. Thank you again and here are a couple pictures of Gabbby that are a little newer than the one I posted earlier.

P.S. I'll let everybody know how it all turns out ad thanks for such a wonderful place to get advice.

cheriekynb · Post by **cheriekynb** » Fri May 04, 2007 1:15 pm

Gabby is just soooo CUTE!

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Fri May 04, 2007 2:23 pm

hey everybody, just got back from taking Gabby to the vet and he said he believes its allgeries causing the problem. gave her a shot and some antibotics with some cream to put around the eye. picked up an e-collar and a bag of nutro. I have to use the e-collar on her when we are not around to watch her to make sure she doesnt scratch around the eye anymore. Hopefully by switching back to nutro all problems go away but we have to wait and see. Thanks again for all the advice.

cheriekynb · Post by **cheriekynb** » Fri May 04, 2007 2:48 pm

Yay, good news.

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Fri May 04, 2007 2:49 pm

you would have probably been fine just switching back to the Nutro with out the shots and medications. Did your vet tell you to switch back or is that your idea, if its your idea its right.

Timbersmom · Post by **Timbersmom** » Fri May 04, 2007 4:50 pm

Jeff, you are so funny! I'm pretty new here, but I have been studying this site and trying to learn the most I can from all of you, and you are REALLY convincing--I think you should do commercials for Nutro! I'm really picky but I have switched over and I am now feeding Nutro to all dogs and my cats. Thank you for helping me to discover that

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:01 pm

I wasn't realy pushing the Nutro but was just wondering if the Vet said anything about the food and was just going for the meds like most vets. Pekoe's first vet never said a word about diet just kept giving her shots and medications every week.

Plus being as how vets sell Science diet I was just wondering, Lets just say Its my Vet research.

cheriekynb · Post by **cheriekynb** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:11 pm

Jeff&Peks wrote:I wasn't reaaly pushing the Nutro but was just wondering if the Vet said anything about the food and was just going for the meds like most vets. Pekoe's first the vet never said a word about diet just kept giving her shots and medcations every week.

Plus being as how vets sell Science diet I was just wondering, Lets just say Its my Vet research.

They DO push the Science Diet! I wonder why? OH and if you go to PetSmart, there's ALWAYS a Science Diet representative giving you coupons.

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Tue May 08, 2007 4:19 pm

Hello everyone, just wanted to update everybody on Gabrielle, she is doing great now that I switched her food back to Nutro. I still have her on the antibotics just to make sure but since I switched her back to Nutro she hasnt scratched once at the area around her eye. Just to let you know it was my idea to switch her food back and when mentioned to the Vet he said it couldnt hurt. I would like to say thank you to everybody on here without all of you and the great advice I probably still be going to the Vet with Gabby trying to figure out what was causing her problem but due to all of you and the advice on switching her food my little girl is back to her young self. Thank you again.

p.s. here is a picture of Gabby and her brother Quinn (R.I.P.) he passed a couple months after we got Gabby

LEO's mum · Post by **LEO's mum** » Tue May 08, 2007 4:35 pm

That is great news! Do stay with us and update us on your adventures with Gabby!

t00ms · Post by **t00ms** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:44 pm

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to give an update on Gabrielle, she is doing great. She has no more itching and the skin and fur around her eye is back to normal. I would like to say thank you to everyone on here for all their advice and postings on here because it was a big help. Hopefully I will not need any more advice or help but if I do I know where to go and get it now. Thank you again.

threedogjeep · Post by **threedogjeep** » Mon May 21, 2007 3:52 pm

Good Job, Dad!! Keep us informed on your beautiful gal!!!